Bedtime

When Nathan was 2.5yrs old we took away his "set" bedtime of 7pm. It wasn't a forced thing, but it was pretty much timed down to the minute in a nice easy routine which started at 6.15pm. However, it did take a bit of work to help him go to sleep and needed to be with him anyway. We eventually realised it didn't need to be like that. After easing up and letting it go, and after a week of him going crazy at being able to stay up late, things settled down again once he realised the new way was here to stay. He would start to fall asleep on the couch and we'd just carry him off to bed by 7.30pm anyway, as he got older and no longer fell asleep we reverted back to the old routine without the time - just whenever they started to look tired and based on the day and whether they'd had naps or not. Danielle's never had a bedtime, but the rhythm of our days has meant that they generally wake around 7am and go to bed between 7.30-8.30pm.

However, this week, we decided to let that final parent-led bedtime go and instead of us being suggestive of it being time for bed, he now stays up till his body is ready for bed (Danielle at this stage is still taken off to bed in a relaxed fashion as she is ready for sleep sooner and happy with the way things are). So, the last 3 nights Nathan has listened to his own body's needs and gone to bed, first night 9.30pm (asked to go to bed), 2nd night 9pm (wanted to snuggle up on the couch to go to sleep), and tonight 9.30pm when we asked if he wanted to lie down on his bed or couch as he was clearly flopping, bed it was. The first day of the change to the routine he kept reconfirming all day that that was what was going to happen. The 2nd night he asked once or twice during the day and today didn't even ask - just knew that this was the way it was going to be.

Mapping and counting

The morning started off with playing at the park with a wee friend. Nathan wanted to take his bike and ride on the skate ramps. He spent time watching all the big boys race around on theirs and then joined in.

While Danielle napped, Nathan got out the playstation (which hasn't been out for over a month or so) and played Spyro the dragon. He seems a bit bored of the game now and was creating a bit of interest for himself by scoring, flicking to the tally board thing and asking me how many points he'd scored - over and over lol.

This afternoon we went over to their nannies and re-met with their cousin who they haven't seen for 18mths. It was neat to see them make friends with each other and hang out and have fun.

Both kids helped make dinner by stirring the pans and chopping veges.

I continued to sit at the dining table with Nathan while he finished his meal to keep him company and read some more Little House to him. Meanwhile, Danielle took herself away for some time to herself and flicked through a book.

And later on, playing with the trains down the hallway.

After Danielle had gone to bed, Nathan wanted to play a few board games. First we played the gardening game and then his Traffic Jam game. After sitting up on the couch and observing it, he decided to draw and copy it since it looked like a map.


The TV was on and he saw an advertisement with the number 100 in it. He said he knew it was 100 because it had 2 00's. He then asked what number would it be with 000's. And then if it had 0000's.

The Reading thing...

It's been interesting...Nathan has shown interest in writing and wanting to know what words say for about 18mths or so. I had no expectations on when things would start to happen for him, nor much of an idea on how it would happen. So far I've just followed his lead with reading to him heaps (chapter books, picture books, non-fiction books, labels etc) and writing out words at his request. On Wednesday when we had his friend over, they found a sheet of paper in the recycling bin that had lists of words on it that Nathan had asked me to write down for him a few weeks back. She asked him what it said and I was amazed to hear him rattle off about 10 of the words. Most of them were family members, but it was neat to hear him do that. Then today we were reading a book with old-fashioned children's stories and he just pointed and read out the word "no" and "fox". It's not a book we've read often or lately - so I guess things are starting to click for him.

Little Miss had the morning to herself

Danielle doesn't often get one on one time with me. Nathan gets quite a lot since Danielle naps probably 3 times a week still. But today, we dropped Nathan off at Playcentre on his own and we went home for some time together.

Upon arriving home, she discovered the vege box and expressed interest in cutting it open - she hasn't before and just lets Nathan do it. So I imagine from now on they'll be sharing that task lol.

Doing a puzzle on her own and of her choice. Once again, she's usually pretty content to just go along with Nathan's ideas (aside from taking herself away to play with dolls), so it was interesting to see her gravitate towards her own choice of toys. She grabbed out the farm puzzle and made a really good crack at doing it herself and only asked for a little help now and again.

Danielle then pulled out the spelling cards and both were playing with them. Nathan moved on to making up his own word by adding one letter at a time and asking me to pronouce it - which resulted in heaps of giggling from both kids.

Just chillin' this afternoon



A playdough forest

And now, Nathan is up late - we've read some Little House, he's gone off and done some writing, had the pleasure of looking at stars since it's been a while due to the long summer nights (which are sadly greatly shortened now), helping dad make me a lemon and honey drink, munching on popcorn, fed the dog and soon to snuggle down for a sleep.

A few days worth

Playing with playsilk making wind (and pretty relaxing too!)

After a visit to the beach on Monday, the kids collected some grass things and decided to give them haircuts when they got home.

Danielle and her dollshouse

The kids had a friend to play on Wednesday - all all getting into various dressups they started to screw up paper to throw up in the air as snow. Instead of wasting our good drawing paper I redirected them to the recycling bin beside the fireplace and this is what we ended up with lol.

Nathan's "Little house on the Prairie" complete with table, chairs, beds etc (note the dog at the door lol).

Lots of board games...lots of physical stuff too

The weather's been all over the place since the weekend, so we have gone from playing board games while it's rained, to getting out of the house when it's not.

They've spent time at the park and beach with dad on Sunday when it was quite blustery
Played heaps of board games (well, Danielle prefers to sort and play with the peices) - Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego, Whoosit etc.
Drawing
Had a playcentre morning today which saw both kids racing around heaps, painting and mixing materials to come up with different soupy concoctions. Danielle has really taken off with her confidence in climbing up and over things. It was interesting seeing her repeating her little circuit over and over and seeing her sense of achievement and going beyond her fear of it in her own time.
Nathan and I are about halfway through Little House on the Prairie.
Yesterday afternoon we all spent a while down on the hammock reading stories and then some bouncing on the tramp.
Today we have a social one again with a friend coming to play this morning, then this afternoon meeting up with some other friends.
Nathan and I spotted a new recipe we wanted to try for dinner, so will prepare that after lunch before going out.

Sunday

There was a slow start to the day today since it was Simon's first day home with us after a busy week.

I had been keen to buy a couple of storage units for the house. One was to take care of the miscellaneous craft/art supplies in the kids area of the lounge and another for the shoes at the front door. Our small house means limited places to put things. So this is now the kids activity table area with the new basket drawers addition. Eventually, I think a nice cupboard/shelving would go well on this wall, but the table is really useful for now and there is no other room to put one (especially when we bring the fire guard up in winter).

We then popped down to the video hire place and got out Charlotte's Web which the kids watched after lunch. Nathan then wanted to go on the computer while Danielle was napping, so I suggested a new site I'd heard of with activities which we could do together (since I needed to read the instructions for him), so he was into that for about 1/2 hr.

The kids spent a bit of time down in the garage and trampoline with Simon over the course of the day.

Danielle got the ball out to do some throwing with me, then Nathan got into the game and as Danielle wandered off eventually he turned the game into a challenge where he was to duck under the ball as it came towards him.


After dinner Danielle put on a classical music CD and wanted to dance (although she ran off to get changed out of her short into a skirt first).

The kids asked Simon to make muffins with them, so we munched on those while reading Little House on the Prairie. Nathan found it amusing that the girls wore nightcaps to bed and was intrigued with Pa building a log house.